


A Warrior's Mind and Body Are One

by w3djyt



Category: Bleach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-17
Updated: 2012-10-17
Packaged: 2017-11-16 12:39:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/539516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/w3djyt/pseuds/w3djyt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some musings on Renji’s battle-readiness and drive to become better written from Byakuya’s point of view during the time skip after Aizen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Warrior's Mind and Body Are One

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve noticed that Renji’s fighting capabilities and the fact that he seems particularly good at training other people tends to go overlooked a lot and, especially after witnessing their Fullbringer matches, felt that it was something else addressed in the interim that ultimately brings them to a better understanding of one another.

A whip is not a terribly practical weapon, truth be told. It takes a hideously long time to truly master and is almost always slower than a good sword. Of course there is something to be said for range and the flexibility in fighting style that accompanies it, but when the elegance of such a weapon and technique was marred by the heavy weight of guarded metal and viciously awkward teeth Byakuya had immediately dismissed any positives in fighting style as extraneous to his lieutenant’s obvious misunderstanding of his own sword and it’s less than practical use in battle.

It was an opinion he’d kept through every battle he’d watched the redhead botch and every retelling of the matches he had been (blissfully) absent from and maintained well after he’d personally demonstrated the incompetence of such a technique and ridiculous release, no matter the younger man’s progress. That wasn’t to say he hadn’t grown to appreciate his lieutenant’s tenacity and ability - it was certainly beyond what he’d originally expected from the assignment - but he felt that it was something accomplished “in spite of” instead of “in accordance with” and found himself somewhat exasperated by the state of affairs once things had settled enough for him to bother considering anything other than immediate threats. 

To his surprise, the sentiment was shared. 

Renji, it seemed, could always find some method of being unexpected. After the mess Aizen created, ‘unexpected’ came in the form of his vice captain accurately recounting not only his various fights blow for blow (which, though difficult, was something he would expect of such a highly ranked officer of the Gotei 13), but also identifying each mistake and unpracticed skill that had caused the end result.

“Kidou’s jus’ awful,” he’d explained one day after an unexpected trip to fourth had left him slightly behind schedule for the rest of the day. The noble had anticipated a longer excuse and perhaps a mild rant on how much his lieutenant disliked the techniques, but all he received instead was, “It’s all so… slippery an’ complicated. My reiatsu ain’t that complex… jus’ wants ta blow out all th’ time. I don’t get how you manage it at all - but next time I’ll wait ‘til th’ day’s over ta try.”

At the time, Byakuya had merely nodded and passed the remaining paperwork from the hour or so the younger man had missed back over his desk. Renji trying to improve himself wasn’t something  _new_ , per say, though the method certainly was. For the time being, however, it hadn’t warranted commentary. Thus, he’d set it aside for a week in order to deal with his own priorities - quite a bit of inter-family business left on the sidelines for 100 years - and only returned to the notion when the time came to address the battle readiness of his division. Most everything concerning the lower seats had, by then, been handled by his lieutenant who had proven himself remarkably talented at training others.

Being captain, of course, the matter of training Abarai fell to him. It wasn’t something he’d contemplated much in the past, but then he’d spent most of his tenure in sixth under the shadow of loss; a rather effective wall between him and any care towards his subordinates. So long as everyone did their jobs, their lives were none of his concern. Renji was… an aberration. After nearly losing his sister - the pride of his late wife and thus what little he had left of her in this life - and everything he’d ever once fought for, ignoring his lieutenant’s continued drive for improvement seemed solipsistic at best and willfully ignorant at worst. They’d reached an understanding, at least; an all too human connection Byakuya hadn’t felt in years and wasn’t certain about his opinion of, but it was there all the same and he allowed it to, at least, lead them to a training field. 

Renji was an excellent  _swordsman_. In fact, were it not for the clear advantage of shunpo mastery decades in the making, the redhead could have matched him. Not in skill - that would take him some time yet, the noble mused throughout the bout - but in actual fighting prowess. He shouldn’t have been terribly surprised by this given both the younger man’s history both in mentors and battle experience, but it was difficult to remember such when the man hardly came away triumphant. Renji’s biggest problem, it seemed, was always taking on opponents beyond his capability to handle.

“Well, how  _else_  do ya get better?” had been Renji’s short laugh during a lull in one of their spars. He was still grinning far too broadly for someone so out of breath and cut up. 

“Not getting yourself killed, preferably,” Byakuya dryly returned, doing his best to suppress the vague strain over his body from the increasingly harsh back and forth clash of their swords. 

Renji barked a laugh and pushed them apart, stepping back with a raised hand to signal a full pause in the match. “Blame Zaraki-Taichou-“

“I will blame  _you_  for your shortcomings, Abarai-Fukutaichou,” Byakuya shortly returned with a low huff as he sheathed his blade for the moment in acquiesce to Renji’s need for a drink.

The redhead couldn’t quite keep from rolling his eyes. “Then blame me fer not keepin’ up with my zanpakutou,” he idly threw out as he wandered only a short distance to a small bamboo container set aside before the match, opening it quickly for a long draught of refreshing water. When his captain merely continued to stare at him, he wiped the sweat from his brow and immediately began to elaborate. It was turning into habit by then. “Zabimaru’s the reason I can compete in those fights at all, but he’s not th’ easiest sword ta work with, ya know? Didn’ know a damn thing ‘bout how ta wield ‘im after I figured out shikai… took years just ta get the timing down. I’m  _still_  too reactive and especially with my bankai I - what?” 

“… need to master yourself before you can truly master your blade,” Byakuya murmured, gaze almost contemplative as he considered his vice captain - top to bottom - as if it was the first time he’d laid eyes on the man. Indeed, it felt as though it were.

Renji merely gave him another odd look; angular features screwed up in open confusion as he unwound battle-loosened hair in order to set it right again. “… Not quite what I was gonna say, but you make it sound better,” he offered with a sort of bemused laugh. He wound the hair tie around once more and cinched it in place. “Either way - sword work still?” he prompted while stepping back towards his captain with a roll of his shoulders.

Byakuya let slip the firm hold usually kept on his reiatsu; sharply increasing the spirit pressure immediately around them. It wasn’t something he consciously thought of, but a measure of relief all the same; a stretching of muscles too long unused. Renji quirked an eyebrow at him, visibly attempting not to get  _too_  excited over the prospects of engaging in a higher level match, and for once Byakuya found himself fighting the ever so slight twitch of his lips that accompanied anticipatory amusement. Somehow, his vice captain managed a vivaciousness that was difficult to ignore. 

“It seems you would benefit from more… strenuous matches,” Byakuya idly announced.

A grin all but split Renji’s face. “Readin’ my mind, Taichou.”


End file.
